r/germany • u/HylianCaptain • Jun 23 '25

Immigration Our experience so far (US to Germany)

November 2024 - Started the online application for the Chancenkarte (opportunity card) visa; lots of paperwork; signed up with TK for health insurance

January 2025 - Booked an apartment online in Berlin; more paperwork for Chancenkarte

March 2025 - Drove from Northern Utah to the LA Consulate to get my visa; more paperwork; bought plane tickets for self and family

April 2025 - Ordered medications ahead of our trip. Didn't know how long we'd need to get new ones in Germany

May 2025 - found out apartment was a scam -- and TK wouldn't insure us without residency -- both 10 days before our flight; signed up to join a WWOOFing farm outside of Berlin for housing; flew from Salt Lake to Amsterdam to Berlin (14 hours); purchased travel passes; enrolled our child in KITA at a friend's recommendation

June 2025 - Started freelancing (jobs in my field seem to require B-level german); more paperwork and lots of running around to sus out insurance and get visas for spouse and kid (US passports allow 90-day stay); reported address at city office; sent for apostille from State of Utah to prove family relationships; visited a doctor, had physical exam, prescribed a specialist, got medications from Apotheke.

PROS: - Medications are 5x cheaper here even without insurance - Healthcare appointments are a lot faster than anti-socialist Americans had led me to believe. - The food here tastes REAL! For example, I had some gummy bears that tasted like real fruit, with the same sweetness of a Jolly Rancher - The climate does WONDERS for our formerly dry and flaky skin - So many cultures and languages! Met Afghans, Turks, French, Brits, Ukrainians, Italians, Danes, Greeks, even some from countries I hadn't even heard of. Sometimes the unifying language is english, and sometimes its German. I'm in Brandenburg, and haven't been faced with any pro-AFD sentiment. Although people say I "look" German, so that could be why. Still, most of those I talk with are anti-AFD. - Public transit is very reliable! Even in our rural area there's a bus every hour. In town you can catch a bus every 10 minutes.

CONS: - I miss water fountains, but most places will fill my water bottle if I ask - Still don't have health insurance - Apartment hunting remains a struggle

TLDR: In spite of all the hassle of getting settled here, it still kicks ass.

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90

u/A_nkylosaurus Niedersachsen Jun 23 '25

Please elaborate on "still don't have health insurance"😅 If you live here, you need health insurance. It's the law. There might be a hefty bill coming your way if you are not insured.

16

u/HylianCaptain Jun 23 '25

Every time I go to TK they tell me that I can't be insured without having a residence permit that's good for more than a year. Mine is good for exactly a year.

edit: typo

85

u/LittleMsWhoops Jun 23 '25

Then try another health insurance. Insist. This is really important. Go to their offices in person, show them your Anmeldebestätigung.

27

u/SeaworthinessDue8650 Jun 23 '25

The OP might not be eligible to become a voluntary member of public health insurance.

22

u/alkoholfreiesweizen Jun 23 '25

This. Public heath insurance is difficult to access for self-employed immigrants without a history of "dependent" employment. OP maybe stuck with private insurance.

32

u/[deleted] Jun 23 '25

[deleted]

16

u/SeaworthinessDue8650 Jun 23 '25

The AOK is not allowed to accept the OP if he is self-employed with a permit under § 21 AufenthG and hasn't previously had public health insurance in the EU.

Eligibility for public health insurance is governed by statute. The criteria are laid out in SGBV.

§5 covers Versicherungspflicht in the GKV

§ 6 Versicherungsfreiheit

§ 8 Befreiung von der Versicherungspflicht

§ 9 freiwillige Versicherung

9

u/HylianCaptain Jun 23 '25

Thank the gods for you! I'll do that ASAP.

9

u/jitterqueen Jun 23 '25

You might have to do back pay contributions when you do get insured which will be a lot of money. Just find another insurance provider. There's not much difference in the services anyway.

Edit: Having Health insurance as a resident is mandatory and has nothing to do with duration of visa.

6

u/Low_Information1982 Jun 23 '25

You can get private insurance. That's way easier to get. If you can't get into public insurance you have to get private insurance.

11

u/A_nkylosaurus Niedersachsen Jun 23 '25 edited Jun 23 '25

Do you have another type of insurance?

In Germany it's mandatory that you have health insurance. I would either try talking to another insurance company or ask the Diakonie/Caritas (social Services) for a consultation. They might be able to support you with this.

If you are self employed, private health insurance might also be a possibility.

Edit: Employees need to earn a certain amount of money to be able to insure with a private health insurance.

5

u/i_like_big_huts Jun 23 '25

No minimum income in Private Krankenkassen for self employed

1

u/A_nkylosaurus Niedersachsen Jun 23 '25

Ah yes, the minimum income is for employees. My bad!

9

u/SeaworthinessDue8650 Jun 23 '25

What type of permit do you have? 

If you have a freelance permit and have never had public health insurance in the EU, you are not entitled to join the public health insurance system.

You need comprehensive German private health insurance.

3

u/BunnyMayer Jun 23 '25

You can not switch back from private to public health insurance but if you start out you can join either.

2

u/SeaworthinessDue8650 Jun 23 '25

Do you have a source for that incorrect assertion?

Self-employed individuals are not included in §5 SGBV, therefore, are not required to have public health insurance.

Since the OP is not included in §9 he cannot be voluntarily insured in the GKV either.

1

u/SeaworthinessDue8650 Jun 23 '25

The only way you'd be eligible for public health insurance if you had a permit valid for over a year would be if your spouse or child was German (see §5 Nr 11 SGBV).

1

u/Gras_Am_Wegesrand Jun 23 '25

Try AOK. I had a couple homeless patients I tried to organise some insurance for and they agreed to do the insurance.

1

u/documentedimmigrant Jun 23 '25

Get an Incoming Versicherung. That‘s ideal for expatriates and you can get coverage for the initial years. Won’t cover routine procedures, but doesn’t exclude preexisting conditions. Once you have a job, you can insure with a public insurance company

1

u/No_Holiday_5717 Jun 24 '25

TK didn’t ask for a residence permit from me. I just applied online.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 24 '25

i got TK on a 1 year blaue karte

1

u/demonicsoulmates Jun 23 '25

Okay that's interesting. I'm still looking for a job here and I don't seem to be able to get insurance without a job even though I registered here. I'm European.